Eyes of the Guru IDP Info, Week 4

The season-opening waiver rush is over, but that does not mean there will be no more opportunities to improve our teams. Players will emerge as they earn bigger roles, and injuries will continue to happen. Opportunities will be there. They will just be fewer and, in many cases, more difficult to identify ahead of the competition. Now it is time to settle in for the grind and micro-manage our teams to squeeze out every possible point each week.

Arizona Cardinals

At 8-6-0 with an interception, Kyzir White's week three was the most fantasy-productive of his career to date. He might not eclipse it in week four, but he has a great opportunity with a matchup against San Francisco. Over the first three games, five linebackers have produced at least six solo or ten combined tackles against them.

Among those five linebackers were Elandon Roberts (6-1), Kwon Alexander (8-1), and Micah McFadden (9-1), who all played less than 80% of the snaps in their matchup. That bodes well for sneaking Krys Barnes into your lineup. However, Barnes came out of last week's game with a hand injury, so keep an eye on the practice reports later in the week.

Early in the game against Dallas, Zaven Collins landed his first full sack of the year. It is starting to look like the move to Edge will be a good one. Unfortunately, he left the game after being poked in the eye. San Francisco is not a particularly good matchup for pass rushers, but if he is available, Collins will be a decent option to start.

Rookie corner Kei'Trel Clark didn't stand out in week one, but he has 13 solo stops, a pair of assists, and four passes defended over the last two games.

Atlanta Falcons

Troy Andersen suffered a torn pectoral in week three and will miss the rest of the season. Nate Landman stepped in when Andersen missed week two and played 49 of 50 snaps. Landman's marginal production of 3-1 in that game is not exactly a major confidence builder, but at least he was on the field so the numbers could come.

Jeff Okudah suited up against the Lions but played sparingly (11 snaps). His playing time should increase quickly as he works back into game shape. Okudah has been a solid IDP option when healthy in the past. If he gets back to a near full-time role this week, he could be a nice addition ahead of the week five matchup with Houston.

Jessie Bates bounced back strong from his poor week two production. The loss of Andersen could be a big plus for the safeties going forward.

Baltimore Ravens

There's Kyle Hamilton! After two dismal IDP performances, he exploded for 7-2-3 with a forced fumble and a pass breakup. I've not yet had a chance to watch more than a few plays from Baltimore's week three contest, but that glimpse and the numbers are enough to suggest he was back in the strong safety role. A lot of managers had already cut Hamilton loose. Check your waivers to see if he's available, and grab him if he is. The fact that Baltimore is not putting Marcus Williams on IR is a pretty good sign that Hamilton will be in the box safety role down the road, even if he is a little inconsistent over the next few games.

Injuries are taking a toll on the Ravens pass rush. Tavius Robinson got most of the work opposite Clowney in week three after David Ojabo left with an ankle injury just a few snaps into the game. With Tyus Bowser and Odafe Oweh already on the shelf, Jeremiah Moon also saw action in the edge rotation.

Brandon Stephens has gone large in two of three games and has another strong matchup with the Browns on tap for week four. The Ravens are unsettled at their other corner position, though. After playing four snaps over the first two games, Daryl Worley got the start in week three with Ronald Darby working over the slot in nickel situations.

Buffalo Bills

The Bills racked up ten sacks versus Washington, with eight of them compliments of the defensive line. The problem is that none of the five linemen who recorded sacks had more than two solo stops. This is a direct result of their mass rotation approach that saw nine players with at least 12 snaps and no one with more than 34.

Is it too early to say that Terrell Bernard is a big upgrade over Tremaine Edmunds? I don't think so, at least not in IDP terms. It was a glaring lack of playmaking ability that always held Edmunds back. Three games into his career as a starter, Bernard already has two sacks and three turnovers. It's early, but I'm sold.

The time may have come to move on from Jordan Poyer. Granted, the matchups have not been favorable, but Poyer was not his normal, highly productive self in 2022, either. An average of six points per game is not going to get it done. At best, he goes to the bench this week in the hope that the Dolphins offense can revive his production.

Carolina Panthers

Deion Jones could be the waiver add of the week. Frankie Luvu left Sunday's game with a hip injury and was not able to return. As of Wednesday afternoon, there has been no update on the severity of the injury beyond the fact that he is not practicing.

With Shaq Thompson already on IR, Kamu Grugier-Hill got the start at the other ILB position. When he came on in week two, Grugier-Hill played virtually every snap for the rest of the game. His numbers were good against Seattle at seven solos and five assists, but he was limited to 67% participation. Jones came on for Luvu and played full-time after getting in the game. Jones is a proven, three-down starter, so if Luvu misses time, Jones should be the every-down guy.

Xavier Woods was sidelined by a hamstring. Sam Franklin replaced him at free safety. It was not necessarily related to Woods' injury, but Jeremy Chinn was back to a 77% play share. He is still picking splinters out of his backside from week two, so I'm not trusting him yet.

With Jaycee Horn out, C.J. Henderson got the start at corner in week two. The Panthers gave Troy Hill a shot at the job in week three. It's hard to say who will get the call in week four.

Chicago Bears

The Bears are a complete dumpster fire on both sides of the ball right now. Defensively, they have no pass rush, the secondary is devastated by injuries, and their defensive coordinator quit. What could be better than a matchup with a Denver team that is struggling offensively and just gave up 70 points to the Dolphins?

Tremaine Edmunds was limited to a 73% share of the playing time in week three. He was checked out by the medical staff and, according to Coach Eberflus, could have returned if the game were close. Instead, Eberflus elected to leave Jack Sanborn in the game to mop up. Nothing to see here.

The Bears' secondary is in shambles. Elijah Hicks got the start at free safety for Eddie Jackson. At corner, Tyrique Stevenson left with a concussion and Jaylon Johnson with a hamstring. With Kyler Gordon already down, that left Greg Stroman, Terell Smith, and Jaylon Jones as their top three corners. That is how the Bears could start against Denver.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals defense won the game on Monday night. Their big play parade won a lot of fantasy games as well, but there were not many tackles for the linebackers. Logan Wilson made up for it with a couple of picks, but those of us with Jermaine Pratt were left out. Don't let his night off scare you away from Pratt. This was a fluke situation, and nothing has changed in terms of playing time. Pratt has been on the field for at least 80% of the snaps in all three games. He should bounce back against the Titans this week, providing the Tennessee offense is not as bad as it was against Cleveland.

Cleveland Browns

The Titans offense was horrible in week three. They rushed 14 times for 26 yards and had 13 completions for 104. All things considered, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's team-leading six tackles (four solo) are not so bad. That said, nothing significant has changed here. Anthony Walker led the team's linebackers in snaps at 77%.

Dallas Cowboys

Don't be fooled by Damone Clark's 7-2-0. Yes, he did have a bigger role in week three, but Clark still got less than 70% of the playing time. Maybe he should get a promotion since Leighton Vander Esch played every snap and could muster just 2-2, but until that happens, stay away from this mess.

Donovan Wilson returned, but he was not in his normal role. Wilson saw action on 32 of 61 plays, finishing at 3-1 on the day. If you have him on your squad, be patient for a game or two until he gets into game shape.

Denver Broncos

I'm not sure what there is to learn from Denver's debacle. Justin Simmons did not practice at all last week, so rookie Delarrin Turner-Yell was cast into the inferno. He had a great game statistically at 10-3, but beyond the numbers, there is nothing to be excited about. The depth chart is bare behind Turner-Yell, so unless Simmons can go, he is in line for another start this week versus the Bears. As bad as Denver looked last week, even the toothless Bears offense could make Turrner-Yell a solid start for us.

Josey Jewell left Sunday's game with a groin injury. As of Wednesday evening, there has been no update on the severity other than the confirmation that Jewell did not practice. We should prepare as if he is not going to be available, and with a groin injury, he could miss some time.

The Broncos turned to rookie Drew Sanders last week and are likely to do the same in week four. So, what should we expect from Sanders? Let's just say our first look was not encouraging. Jewell went down after 19 plays. In that brief playing time, he had four combined stops. Sanders played 60 snaps and was credited with one assist. He simply looked overmatched but then so did the rest of the defense.

Alex Singleton's snap count dropped to 64% in week two. He was back up to 89% against Miami and should be close to 100% versus the Bears if Jewell is out. If there is one thing we know about Singleton, it's that when he plays a lot, he produces well. Singleton had ten combined stops against Miami.

Randy Gregory had fewer snaps (34) than Jonathan Cooper (55) and Nik Bonitto (47). Both Cooper and Bonito put up good tackle totals for edge defenders, but there was not much pass rush from them. Chicago gives up a lot of sacks, so this is their chance to step up.

Detroit Lions

Injuries have the Lions thin at the safety positions. As a result, Tracy Walker, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Brian Branch were the three players seeing time between the safety and slot positions. For the first time in his young career, Branch was a full participant in a game. The way he played, Branch should be on the field for every defensive snap the rest of the way. He was everywhere, totaling eleven solo stops, including three for a loss, and knocking down a pair of passes.

With Kerby Joseph practicing this week, he could be back in action against the Packers on Thursday. That would put Tracy Walker at strong safety with Branch as the fifth defensive back again, as he was in the first two games. All three of these players are capable of quality fantasy production. C.J. Gardner-Johnson put up good numbers from the strong safety spot in the first two games. Unless they shuffle things a little to keep Branch on the field full-time, I expect Walker to be the most consistent of the group.

Jack Campbell's playing time increased by about 20% in week three. His production followed suit. Campbell logged 38 of a possible 67 snaps, going 3-3-1 in week three. We will have to keep an eye on his role against the Packers this week but I suggest picking him up now if he's available. Bigger things are coming.

Even with injuries to Josh Paschal and James Houston IV, Romeo Okwara remained relegated to the fourth man in the edge rotation.

Green Bay Packers

DeVondre Campbell left Sunday's game with an ankle injury and did not return. He is not practicing on Tuesday and has been ruled out for week four. Isaiah McDuffie stepped in against the Saints with a solid 5-1 on 37 plays and is in line for the start. It is unclear, however, if McDuffie would retain Campbell's three-down role.

On the stat sheet, Rashan Gary looks like he's back, with an impressive three-sack performance. The game book tells a somewhat different story in that Gary was on the field for just 23 snaps. The good news is that his playing time is increasing steadily and could reach 50% this week if the trajectory holds. Before last year's injury, Gary was consistently seeing more than 70% of the snaps.

Houston Texans

Houston's linebackers are a work in progress, but when the dust settles, we could have a pair of excellent options. Last week, we saw Christian Harris benched during the first half in favor of rookie Henry To'oTo'o. In that game, To'oTo'o played 81% of the snaps, including (I believe) every snap from the time he entered the game. He made the first start of his career in the win over Jacksonville, playing 69 of a possible 71 snaps. The question is, will that be his role going forward or was it because Denzel Perryman was sidelined by a hand injury?

In week one, Perryman was the three-down backer with Harris playing about 72% of the snaps. In week three, To'oTo'o held the lead role with both Harris (62%) and Blake Cashman (63%) also seeing significant action. Cashman made the best of his opportunity, posting 3-3 with an interception, a fumble recovery, and a pair of pass breakups. If Cashman could ever stay healthy, he could become a factor.

Both Jonathan Greenard and Will Anderson saw their playing time slashed in week three. After playing at least 72% in each of the first two games, they were both at about 60% in week three.

Indianapolis Colts

With another huge game, Zaire Franklin (11-4-1) is an early candidate for IDP Player of the Year. All is well with Franklin, but the deeper we get into the season, the more I am worried that Shaquille Leonard will never be the same. He recorded another so-so line of 2-5 against the Ravens, but more importantly, Leonard's share of the playing time has decreased each game. It dropped below 70% for the first time in week three.

Second-round rookie corner Julius Brents saw his first action as a pro in week three. He looked good on the field and was productive in the box score at 4-0 with a forced fumble and a recovery on 74% of the snaps. From what I could tell, Brents is working the nickel/slot role that made Kenny Moore a fantasy star for a few years.

Jacksonville Jaguars

In week two, Devin Lloyd showed signs of being the player we expected when he was drafted in the first round last year. In the other two games, not so much. Lloyd was 2-3 with a batted pass on 75% of the action in week three, despite playing some of those snaps with a hand injury. Coach Pederson gave an update on Tuesday, saying the injury was to the thumb and that Lloyd would, at the very least, miss some practice this week. On Wednesday, he had screws put in the thumb to stabilize it and is now expected to miss at least two games.

Jacksonville has the luxury of a third starting-quality linebacker on their roster. While Lloyd is out, Chad Muma can step in, and it's business as usual. Muma didn't do much with the 19 snaps he got in week three, but he was productive when given the opportunity last year. If Lloyd's recovery turns out to be longer, Muma could be a good addition.

Josh Allen was a virtual no-show in the week three box scores. The playing time was there, but he is battling a sore shoulder that could be a significant factor for the next few weeks.

Kansas City Chiefs

I've mentioned Michael Danna a few times in the past, including after his strong week one performance. He was pretty quiet in week two but still managed half of a sack. Danna's snap count was down in week three, but only because the second team played the fourth quarter in a blowout. With his 3-0-1 in that game, he now has at least half a sack in three straight with solid tackle totals in two of them, not to mention a juicy matchup with the Jets in week four. New Youk has allowed three sacks in every game so far.

In week three, Nick Bolton was sidelined by an ankle injury, so Drue Tranquill made his first start of the year. Tranquill led the team in tackles at 4-4-.5 and led the Chiefs' linebacker in snaps at 82%. This week's matchup is horrible but they get much better after the Jets. If Bolton's ankle issue lingers, we can get some good work out of Tranquill over the next few games.

Las Vegas Raiders

Rookie corner Jakorian Bennett put together a couple of solid games before his numbers flatlined in week three. If you picked him up, don't overreact to the poor outing. It was simply a case of not being in the right place at the right time for Bennett. He played every snap and was around the ball often. It's always hard to trust a player after a down game like that, but we don't want to miss a matchup with the pass-happy Chargers. If you have Bennett or Nate Hobbs, get them in your lineup this week.

Tyree Wilson was active for week three but was a limited participant because he was sick. He should return to a much more significant role this week.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are going to have a decision to make soon at defensive end. Rookie Tuli Tuipulotu continues to impress. Over the last two games, he has eleven combined tackles and a pair of sacks. In week one, Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa saw the lion's share of the playing time on the edge, with Tuipulotu as the fourth man in the rotation with 22 snaps. With Bosa banged up and on a pitch count, Tuipulotu started the next two games and has outplayed and outproduced Mack. So, when Bosa is fully recovered, which could be as soon as this week, how will the playing time break down? We saw this last week; Tuipulotu 4-0-1 on 77%, Khalil Mack 1-0 76%, Joey Bosa 1-0-1 PD 34%.

Derwin James left the week three game with a sore hamstring. After the game, he told reporters that it just kind of twinged and he did not think it was going to be a big deal. How many times have we heard that from a player who would go on to miss several games? The MRI was Monday, so it's probably a good sign that we haven't heard anything about his status yet.

Miami Dolphins

Snap counts were skewed for Miami defenders because starters were pulled early in the blowout. We saw enough in the first half to know that David Long is still not an every-down player, though he is doing more with less than Jerome Baker.

Brandon Jones got on the field for more than a few snaps. That tells us he is healthy enough and should remain behind DeShon Elliott for the foreseeable future.

Jaelan Phillips remains day-to-day with an oblique injury. That means a bigger role for Andrew Van Ginkle in the big matchup with Buffalo.

Minnesota Vikings

It should come as no surprise that Ivan Pace Jr cooled off against the Chargers. He is a two-down thumper that comes off the field in many passing situations. Los Angeles ran the ball 13 times for 19 yards while throwing 48 passes, so Pace logged 20 fewer snaps than in the previous game. He should be a solid start this week versus the Panthers.

For the same reason that Pace had a slow day at the office, Minnesota's corners were very busy. Akayleb Evans went 7-4 with a forced fumble while Byron Murphy was 9-1 with a pair of passes defended. For Murphy, the big numbers are an outlier. He combined to go 3-4 with a pass defended over the first two games. On the other hand, Evans had eleven stops and three pass breakups in the first two outings and is worth some consideration for those who need two starters at the position.

Josh Metellus made it through the game but aggravated his sore shoulder. His status for week four is in doubt.

New England Patriots

Ja'Whaun Bentley turned in another marginal stat line at 3-3 with a pass breakup. He did, however, turn in a third straight game will 100% participation. He has a string of much better matchups between now and the team's week eleven bye, starting with the Cowboys this week.

Davon Godchaux came out of week three with a sore ankle and is questionable.

New Orleans Saints

Many of our most productive corners these days are the guys playing inside over the slot on teams using the nickel as a base defense. That is the role of Alonta Taylor in New Orleans. With Paulson Adebo out, Taylor moved outside in two receiver sets against the Packers. The risk with players in this role is that once in a while, they have a game with a lesser role. That was the case for Taylor in week one when he played less than 70% of the snaps. Over the last two games, however, he has been off the field for one defensive play. As a result, Taylor had ten solo tackles, a sack, and six passes defended in those two games.

New York Giants

Micah McFadden is on the verge of taking the crown from Alex Singleton as the game's most productive two-down linebacker. He has yet to play more than 75% of the snaps in a game but is averaging more than ten combined stops and has five tackles for loss. McFadden should be a safe start against Seattle this week but we may want to sit him against the Dolphins and Bills in weeks five and six.

Deonte Banks left Thursday's game with an arm injury but has been cleared to return after an MRI showed no structural damage. He has not been very productive thus far, but the only game he has played to its end was week two against the Cardinals. He should be busy in those upcoming games against the Dolphins and Bills.

Isaiah Simmons saw his largest role of the season in week three at 23 snaps. I'll keep watching to see if his role changes or grows, but he is not roster-worthy for now.

New York Jets

Tony Adams nursing a hamstring so Adrian Amos got the call at strong safety against the Patriots. Amos stepped up nicely, playing every snap while producing 6-1 and a pass breakup. There are a lot more pressing things to talk about for the Jets, so there has been no update on the injury status of Adams since last week, when he did not practice at all. Unless we hear differently, expect Amos to get another start against the Chiefs.

Carl Lawson is back in action but saw fewer snaps in week three than in week two. Jermaine Johnson appears to have passed Lawson on the depth chart and has played at least 61% of the snaps in every game.

Philadelphia Eagles

In last week's column, I talked about being patient with Hasaan Reddick. After getting a good look at the Eagles' defense on Monday Night Football and watching him run into the pile over and over, I'm doing an about-face. With Jonathan Gannon as the defensive coordinator, the edge guys had little responsibility beyond getting to the quarterback and maybe tackling a ball carrier if he was in the path. Under Sean Desai, this defense is playing pretty well, but the only thing that resembles the one that piled up 70 sacks last year is the names on the jerseys.

The edge guys are not attacking up the field with the same intensity. It looks like they have other responsibilities to worry about. When it comes to Reddick in particular, instead of going like his hair is on fire as he did before, he looks more like a traditional strong-side linebacker in a read-and-react scheme. A third consecutive goose egg for Reddick is proof enough. It's time to move on from all the Eagles edge guys except Josh Sweat, who has every sack by the team's defensive ends so far. All one and a half of them.

Philadelphia's linebackers have been a disappointment as well. That might not be on the defensive coordinator, though. Between the stellar play of the interior line and the sheer lack of volume when it comes to opportunities, Zach Cunningham and Nick Morrow have not had much of a chance. Against the Buccaneers, Philadelphia's defenders were credited with 29 solo tackles and 13 assists. The entire front seven totaled 11-10. It's not a sure thing that Washington's offense will fare any better this week.

Just two Philadelphia defenders reached double-digit points in week three. With two forced fumbles and half a sack, Jalen Carter was one. The other was safety Reed Blankenship who seemed to be everywhere. The second-year, former undrafted free agent out of tiny Middle Tennessee State was a relative unknown when his name showed up atop the depth chart this summer. Now we can see why the team was so willing to let C.J. Gardner-Johnson walk in free agency.

Sydney Brown finally got on the field for a few snaps. It was just long enough to get hurt. He left with a thigh injury and was joined by Justin Evans who left with a sore neck. Terrell Edmunds finished the game at free safety.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Where did Mark Robinson come from? He showed up in the box score with four solo tackles, but you have to look closely at the tape to find him. He was only in the game for four plays.

It was business as usual for the Steelers' inside linebackers, which meant that no one played anywhere near full-time. Cole Holcomb continued to lead the way, with 74% of the snaps. Kwon Alexander was not far behind at 65%, and ELandon Roberts brought up the rear again at 24%.

Call it a gut feeling, but Keeanu Benton is a guy I'm keeping an eye on. The rookie second-round pick hasn't done much in the box scores yet, but he did land his first career sack against the Raiders. Despite playing fewer than 30 snaps per game so far, Benton has been fairly disruptive. For some reason, watching him makes me think of a young Cameron Heyward. Let's see where he goes from here.

Seattle Seahawks

Coming off a big game against Carolina at 4-4-1.5, Jarran Reed is high on the waiver list of many managers in tackle-required leagues. With the position being so thin, I'll not argue against that. He has three or four big games every year but has not been productive with any consistency since a monster 2018 season. Reed could see a few more snaps than usual if Dre'Mont Jones is not available this week. Jones left Sunday's game with a hip injury.

Jamal Adams is expected to play in week four. If he's available, pick him up, but don't expect big things right away. Chances are, he'll be eased in with a limited role for at least a couple of games. Likewise, don't give up on Julian Love until/unless the need arises. I have a feeling he will continue to have a major role even if/when Adams is healthy.

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco's linebackers had a slow day at the office in week three. Considering the Giants were without Barkley, that was not unexpected, but even with Matt Breida in the backfield, New York should have been able to run the ball more than eight times. The Cardinals are not a great matchup, but they are playing much better than anyone expected. At least James Connor is still healthy, for now.

Oren Burks showed up with four tackles and an assist against the Giants, outproducing Fred Warner and equaling Dre Greenlaw. How that happened is a head scratcher but there is nothing to see here. Burks worked as the third linebacker on a few snaps and stood in for Greenlaw for a few more late in the game so Greenlaw could rest his sore ankle.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have some injury issues at the corner position. Carlton Davis missed last week with a sore toe, and Jamel Dean left the game early with a neck/shoulder injury that is likely a stinger. Davis is feeling better after sitting last week and returned to practice Wednesday on a limited basis. He has a chance to play this week if there are no setbacks. Dean is not practicing and, according to Coach Bowles, is iffy. Zyon McCollum covered for Davis last week and played well. He and Dee Delaney would be the projected starters if both Dean and Davis are out.

Tennessee Titans

In my Sunday notes, I wrote, "What's up with Amani Hooker 9-2. And what happened to Kevin Byard 1-1"? Here is the follow-up on that. Hooker has been a huge tease for the last couple of seasons. He is in a great situation and has given us some good games, but he vanishes way too often to trust, or at least that's how it has been in the past. The question is, has something changed for 2023? The answer is, I'm not sure yet. Hooker had the best game of his career in week one. He was just 3-2 in the tackle columns but rolled up a forced fumble, a recovery, a pick, and two passes defended. He missed week two with a concussion and then returned with a 9-2 against the Browns. There doesn't seem to be any obvious change in his position or responsibilities, so either the light has come on in his third year, or his hot start is a fluke. I'm leaning toward theory one, but we shall see.

As for Byard, I am not concerned yet. He was 12-8 over the first two games, so I'll write of the 1-1 as a fluke for now. Byard tends to make a lot of hay in the big play columns anyway, so if Hooker emerges as a tackling machine, that will free up Byard for more splash plays.

Azeez Al-Shaair Has not yet emerged as the fantasy star many of us expected, but he has been far from a bust and will be fine. We might want to pay attention to the Titans' other linebacker. Jack Gibbens worked only on early downs over the first two games, seeing about 65% of the action. In week three, his role was expanded a bit to include a few nickel snaps and about 80% participation. He is not going to be a stud, but Gibbens could be worthy of a roster spot in deeper leagues, especially once the war of attrition starts claiming some of our starters at linebacker.

Washington Commanders

Cody Barton and Jamin Davis remained in the same roles against Buffalo, with Barton on the field for every play and Davis seeing less than 80% of the snaps. The difference this time around is that the Commanders took a 37-3 beating at the hands of Buffalo. More importantly for IDP managers, Barton's average cover skills were exposed on a few plays. Whether or not it was enough for the team to make some adjustments remains to be seen. The Commanders don't face another high-volume passing attack until week seven when they see the Giants.

That does it for this week's offering. Best of luck in week four!

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